March 17, 2007

So was money a key factor in the decision to reform? "Obviously, or I'd be lying to you - and I hate when other people do that," says Reid. "I'm not rich. I'm not lighting cigars with £50 notes. I've got a family, and it's a consideration. I'm not saying I'm doing it for the money but I'd be a fool if I said it didn't matter." The reunion also provides gainful employment for a couple of former J&MC-influenced shoegazers - ex-Lush bassist Phil King, who played in the late 1990s incarnation of the Mary Chain, and ex-Ride drummer Loz Colbert, recruited from Jim's band along with guitarist Mark Crozer.

Yet despite the figures, a number of top indie labels insist that the fast-rising digital sector is not affecting their manufacturing calculations.

"We can pretty much count on the digital percentage being greater with each release than it was last time," says Andy Kotowicz, head of sales at the Shins' Sub Pop label. "But right now we still spend most of our resources on trying to get people into stores and buying the physical records we shipped. There's not much of a risk in having people not download a record. There's much more a risk in getting records returned."

"Let's face it," continues El-P, a/k/a El Producto, a/k/a Lazerface, a/k/a 32-year-old Fort Greene redhead Jaime Meline. "Most rappers have the worst possible taste in rock music, and most rockers have the worst possible taste in rap music. And a lot of times they decide that means they should get together and do a song. And then you get shit like, f*ckin', whatever. Limp Bizkit."